Weed destroying implement



Feb. 12, 1963 c, DELP WEED DESTROYING IMPLEMENT Filed March 31, 1961 FIG. 4,

FIG. 6.

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United States Patent Otitice lihh Patented Feb. l2, 1953 3,o77,l66 WEEE BESTRYNG MPLEMENT iliiristopher Belp, 4420 Harbor View Ave., (leidend 19, Calif. Filed Man 3l, 1%]1, Ser. No. 99,957 Z Claims. (Ci. lll-7.3)

rl`his invention relates to a novel and improved weed destroying implement of the plant injector type.

The primray object of the invention is the provision of a more eiiicient, more practical, and more easily used device of the ltind indicated, which involves a tubular combined handle and container rod for containing weeddestroying duid, having ground-pressure actuated injector valve means on one end, and a removable iller cap on its other end, the cap having an air vent hole which is adapted to be registered with an air vent hole in the rod in order to provide for acces-s of air to the interior of the rod to enable dow of iluid therefrom through valve means, when open, and the cap being adapted to he moved to another position on the rod wherein the cap closes the rod vent hole, so as to prevent escape of fluid from the interior of the rod, at either end thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simpler and lighter weight device of the character' indicated above, which is composed of a small number of simple and easily assembled parts, and which can be made in serviceable and attractive forms, at relatively low cost, from a variety of readily available material, including plastics.

Gther important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specic form of the invention is set forth in detail.

l'n the drawings:

FIGURE l is a contracted side elevation of a device of the present invention;

FlGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line f-Z of FlGURE 1, showing the filler cap positioned with its vent hole registered with the vent hole in the container rod;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, on the scale of FIGURE 2, taken on the line 3 3, and showing the valve means in closed position;

FGURE 4 is a top plan view taken from the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

HG'URE 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary schematic and sectional view showing the device applied to a weed growing in the ground and the valve means in open duid discharging position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises an elongated tubular and preferably cylindrical combined handle and container rod 10, which is preferably of uniform diameter, and has an open upper end i2 and an open lower end 14. The rod iti is preferably made of suitable rigid non-corrosive plastic material, but can be made of other suitable materials, the plastic material having the advantages of light weight, low cost, ease of manufacture, and resistance to rust and acid corrosion.

Ground-pressure operated duid dispensing means for uid contained within the rod lll, comprises an elongated tube 16 which is closely fitted into the lower end of the rod it?, and is fixed against rotation and endwise movement therein, as by a good friction tit in the rod it?. An enlarged diameter head it, on the lower end of the tube 16, bears against the lower end ld of the rod. lf desired, further securement of the tube 16 in place in the rod iti can be obtained by installing a clarnping ring 19 around the rod lll at its lower end, which compresses the side wall of the rod around the tube lo.

The tube 16 has a compound axial bore extending therethrough, which is composed of a relatively large diameter upper portion 2d and a smaller diameter lower portion 22. The bore portions 2i) and 22 meet to deiine a shoulder which is bevelled to provide a valve seat 24. An injector pin 26, which is longer than the lower bore portion 22 extends loosely and slidably through the bore portion 22 and has an enlarged diameter bevelled valve head 2S on its upper end located above the valve seat 24. An expanding coil spring 3d, smaller in diameter than and positioned lengthwise in the upper bore portion 2t? ot the tube lo, has one end engaged with the valve head .28 and its other end engaged with a diametrical pin 32, which extends across the upper end of the tube i6 and is ixed thereto. The spring Si) is long enough and strong enough to project the injector pin 26, downwardly beyond the lower end of the tube le, and maintain the valve head 28 firmly in the valve seat Zd, so as to prevent escape of weed destroying duid from the interior of the rod l0, through the lower bore portion 22, around the injector pin 26, while the device is not in use.

A filler cap 34 is removably and rotatably engaged on the upper end 12 of the rod ld. The cap Sd cornprises a cylindrical sidewall 36 having a relatively close lit on the exterior of the rod it?, and a top wall 33, having a knurled peripheral edge 39, which is preferably larger in diameter than the sidewall 36 and is of substantial thickness, to provide a convenient and strong handle for manipulating the cap 34. At a point close to the upper end l2 of the rod llt) the rod sidewall is provided with an air vent hole liti, and the cap sidewall 36 is provided with an air vent hole d2, which is adapted to be registered with the air vent hole liti, as shown in FiGURES 2 and 5, in order to provide for access of outside air to the interior of the rod it), necessary to provide for gravity flow of uid therefrom through the valve tube lo, when the valve head 23 of the injector pin Z6 is elevated ott` the seat 2d, as shown in FIGURE. 6. When the device is not in use, the cap 3d is rotated, in either direction, relative to the rod li?, so as to put an imperiorate part of the cap sidewall 36 over the rod vent hole di) and seal the same. A position indicating pointer d4 can be provided on the upper surface of the cap top wall 38, as shown in FGURE 4, which is aligned with the cap sidewall vent hole dil and is adapted to be aligned with an indicator d5 on the rod itl, below the cap 34.

ln operation, and as shown in FlGURE 6, the cap 3d having been rotated on the rod lili to align the vent holes 4t) and 42, and the rod 1li being held in the hands, a point do, provided on the lower end of the injector pin 26, is inserted in the ground G, so as to reach the roots 48 of a weed plant P, and pressed downwardly with sufficient pressure to overcome the resistance of the spring 3d and unseat the valve head 28 from the valve seat 24, so that fluid tiows down around the pin Z5 and enters the roots 4S. When it is decided that suiicient fluid has been thus applied to the roots d8, downward pressure on the rod l@ is relaxed, so that the spring 3@ reseats the valve ead 2S and cuts ott the flow of duid thereto, whereat the device can then be carried, without risk of spillage of fluid, to any other desired location, and is ready for another weed destroying injection.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and

that any change o1" changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangementof components thereof are con-v an open lower end, there being an `air vent hole in said rod inwardly of and adjacent the upper end thereof, a iller cap closing the upper vend of said rod and removably and rotatably engaged on the upper end of saidv rod, said capl having a top wall extending over and engaging the upper end of said rod, and a cylindrical side wall depending from said top wall and closely fitting about the exterior of the adjacent portion of said rod, said side wall being provided with an air vent hole registrable with the vent hole in said rod responsive to rotation of said cap in the proper direction, and valve means closing the lower open end of said rod and controlling the ilow of liquid from said rod, said valve means.

comprising a hollow tube extending into and closely tted into theV lower open end of said rod, an enlarged, head depending from said tube and having aportion projecting out o-f the lower end of said rod andV engaging Athe lower` end of said rod, said head Abeing provided with an axial bore extendingtherethrough, an injector pin slidably and loosely engaged through'said bore and extending beyond the projecting portion'of .said head, a

valve head on said pin and normally closing and seating over the adjacent end of said bore, and a coil spring 1,499,446 v Code July 1, 1924 1,836,259 Leon Dec. 15, 1931 1,836,686 Schling Dec. 15, 1931 1,861,254 Arens May 31, 1932 Y 1,960,738 Giezentanner May 29, 1934 2,055,266 Thomas Sept. 22,1936

2,209,73r Holmes iuiy 30,1940. 4 2,689,068 Lunn Sept. 14, 1954v 2,817,189. Esmay Dec. 24, 195.7

PORElGN PATENTS 1 708,127 France Apr. 27, 193.1 700,353 Great Britain Dec. 2, 1953 disposed within said tube and having one end bearing against said valve head and having the other end alixed to said tube adjacent the end within said tube for biasing said val-ve head into closing relation with respect to the adjacent end of said bore, said pin being actuable upon application of pressure tothe projecting end to Ashift the valve head out of its closing relation with respect to the adjacent end of said bore against the action of said spring to permit the low of liquid out of said rod through said bore.

2. The implement according to claim 1 which includes in addition a clamping ring extending about said rod and compressing said rod against said head of said tube.

References Cited inthe le'of thispatent UNTED STATES PATENTS 

1. A WEED DESTROYING IMPLEMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW TUBULAR ROD HAVING AN OPEN UPPER END AND AN OPEN LOWER END, THERE BEING AN AIR VENT HOLE IN SAID ROD INWARDLY OF AND ADJACENT THE UPPER END THEREOF, A FILLER CAP CLOSING THE UPPER END OF SAID ROD AND REMOVABLY AND ROTATABLY ENGAGED ON THE UPPER END OF SAID ROD, SAID CAP HAVING A TOP WALL EXTENDING OVER AND ENGAGING THE UPPER END OF SAID ROD, AND A CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL DEPENDING FROM SAID TOP WALL AND CLOSELY FITTING ABOUT THE EXTERIOR OF THE ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID ROD, SAID SIDE WALL BEING PROVIDED WITH AN AIR VENT HOLE REGISTRABLE WITH THE VENT HOLE IN SAID ROD RESPONSIVE TO ROTATION OF SAID CAP IN THE PROPER DIRECTION, AND VALVE MEANS CLOSING THE LOWER OPEN END OF SAID ROD AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUID FROM SAID ROD, SAID VALVE MEANS COMPRISING A HOLLOW TUBE EXTENDING INTO AND CLOSELY FITTED INTO THE LOWER OPEN END OF SAID ROD, AN ENLARGED HEAD DEPENDING FROM SAID TUBE AND HAVING A PORTION PROJECTING OUT OF THE LOWER END OF SAID ROD AND ENGAGING THE LOWER END OF SAID ROD, SAID HEAD BEING PROVIDED WITH AN AXIAL BORE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, AN INJECTOR PIN SLIDABLY AND LOOSELY ENGAGED THROUGH SAID BORE AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID HEAD, A VALVE HEAD ON SAID PIN AND NORMALLY CLOSING AND SEATING OVER THE ADJACENT END OF SAID BORE, AND A COIL SPRING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID TUBE AND HAVING ONE END BEARING AGAINST SAID VALVE HEAD AND HAVING THE OTHER END AFFIXED TO SAID TUBE ADJACENT THE END WITHIN SAID TUBE FOR BIASING SAID VALVE HEAD INTO CLOSING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE ADJACENT END OF SAID BORE, SAID PIN BEING ACTUABLE UPON APPLICATION OF PRESSURE TO THE PROJECTING END TO SHIFT THE VALVE HEAD OUT OF ITS CLOSING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE ADJACENT END OF SAID BORE AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING TO PERMIT THE FLOW OF LIQUID OUT OF SAID ROD THROUGH SAID BORE. 